Paradise
by AJ Rayne
Summary: As they wait for the arrival of their children, Jag and Jaina remember the path that their relationship has taken. Just a little collection of fluffy vignettes..no purpose at all. ("The Wedding" rewritten)
1. The Beginning

**The Beginning**

Jacen nearly fell out of bed as Jaina's silent scream jolted him out of sleep, filling his head.  Her pain was leaking through their Force-bond, uncontrolled and rendering her immobile.  She wasn't calling for him, but just for someone in general to put her out of her misery.  He could also feel the terror she was trying to fight back.  Jacen was awake in an instant, reaching for his clothes before he could consider the reasons why Jaina would be in so much pain.  By the time he'd zipped his pants, he knew why his sister was in so much pain.  Tearing down the corridors, he couldn't get to her fast enough and he nearly knocked down a few people in the process.

*          *          *

Leia grabbed Han's hand and pulled him up from bed.  He could barely understand what she was saying, her words coming out so fast they were tumbling on top of each other.  He heard something about Jaina, but beyond that, Leia was incomprehensible.  However, Han didn't get to where he was by not being able to put two and two together.  Waking up took longer these days, but this time he was wide awake.  He was out the door ahead of Leia, cutting a path through the corridors like his son.

*          *          *

Jaina bit back a scream, gritting her teeth as sweat poured down her face.  The med droid was keeping a running commentary on exactly what was going on and had she not been so busy trying not to break the hand of the man who'd done this to her, she would have reached out with the Force to crush the droid's head.  

"Breathe, Jaina, breathe," Jag murmured from somewhere above her head.  "You're doing great."

She glared at him, her brown eyes shooting sparks and he winced.  Knowing Jaina as well as he did, he expected her reaction to be something like this.  Regardless how much she enjoyed _making their children, he knew she would blame him for the pain when the time came.  And the time had come indeed._

The operation room's doors slid open and Jacen came running in, followed closely by his parents.  The med droid protested their presence, but they ignored him.  Jag didn't know just how relieved he looked at seeing them until he saw the amusement on his brother-in-law's face.

"Need a break?" Jacen offered.

Jag wanted to say yes, but didn't know exactly how well Jaina would take that.  She couldn't take a break and when he came back from his, he'd be facing even more trouble.  

"Go," Jaina gasped to his surprise—and relief.  "I'll try to be nice when you come back, but go!"

Kissing her on the forehead, Jag handed Jaina's hand to her brother and he led her parents out to the waiting area.  Leia, a small smile on her face, wound her arm through his.  

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I…I don't have the words to describe what this is like."

"I understand how you feel, Kid," Han said, sitting down.  His face was a little more pale than usual and his hands twitched restlessly.  "When Leia was having the kids, I was on autopilot.  We've all been through a lot, but nothing can compare to seeing your wife give birth to your children."

"Exactly," Jag sighed, sitting next to him.  

Leia shook her head as she regarded the two men.  "You two are a sorry pair.  Look at you: a general and a colonel, quaking in your boots over two tiny people who can't even hold their heads up," she teased.

"And you're not nervous, Princess?" Han countered, eyebrow arched.

"No," Leia said, a faraway look in her eyes that Han knew meant she was opening herself up to the Force.  "I'm not nervous.  Jaina's doing just fine."

"These Jedi," Han snorted.  "You should have gotten a medal for marrying into a family of them, Jag."

Jag smiled.  "I got something better."

Leia winked at him.  "Good answer."

*          *          *

"This is harder than I thought," Jaina confessed to her brother.

Jacen smiled gently.  "When you have two beautiful babies in your arms, you won't even remember what you went through to get them there."

Jaina managed a smile.  "If mom's words over the years are any indication, I doubt that."

"Good point."

"I'm glad you're here, Jace."

"Me, too.  How are you holding up?

"I'm in labor.  I'm as good as I'm going to be."

He cracked a smile.  "You'll be alright, Jaya," he said, using her old nickname.  "You'll be just fine."

"I know…but Jacen, you think you can help me out…with the pain here?"

"Just remember that all your actions have consequences," Jacen said dryly.

If Jaina had been able to laugh, Jacen knew she would have.  As it was, he felt her amusement through the Force as well as the equivalent of a smack in the back of his head.  

"Make yourself useful…and…get my husband," she said, her eyes dancing.

"See, all you needed was some happy memories to remind you just why you're pregnant with his children in the first place."

"I knew I could count on you to…straighten things out…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH."

Jacen winced.  "I'll go get him."

Left to her own devices, Jaina tried to focus on something else other than the pain, and found herself thinking of the countless happy times she'd had with Jag.  So when he came back into the room, she didn't glare at him or start yelling.  She smiled and despite the fact that her hair was plastered to her skull with sweat, her skin damp, and she was breathing hard, he thought it was the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.

"Hi," she said.

He smiled back, taking her hand in his reassuringly.  "Hi."

"Jacen suggested I remember the good times with you so that you wouldn't be afraid to come back in."

Jag couldn't help but grin.  "Is that right?  How successful were you in that particular mission?"

"Consider the fact that you're not hanging upside down a success," she returned, her words coming out in a rush as another contraction gripped her.

"Remember the first time, Jaina," Jag said as he held her hand, his face close to hers.  "Remember when I told you I loved you."

Her expression softened.  "I would never forget that.  We had a lot of firsts that day."

"I love you."

"I know."

***          *          ***


	2. The First Time

**The First Time**

_Two years earlier…_

Jaina stirred, momentarily disoriented as she realized she was in unfamiliar surroundings.  She brushed her chestnut brown hair from her face and squinted as she looked around the sparsely decorated room.  It wasn't much different from hers, but at least hers had a small window.  Glancing down at the floor, she saw the no-longer-so-immaculate black flightsuit strewn on the floor next to her own crumpled and dirty one.  Cheeks reddening, the events of the night before came screaming back to her.  

Turning her head, her brandy brown eyes met the steady gaze of a pair of light green ones.  An uncertain smile creased Jagged Fel's handsome face as he regarded her.  Despite her embarrassment with her actions--before and after they got into bed--Jaina couldn't say she regretted it.  Since their first kiss, she knew that they'd eventually come to this point.  The attraction and emotions between them were too strong, too intense, for things not to come to their natural conclusion.  Still, she felt too vulnerable for her liking.  She started to get up, but something in his eyes stopped her.  Was it fear?  Was it disappointment?  Whatever it was, it made Jaina lie back down.  In that instant, she knew that if she got up and left, she'd be losing something she'd fought so hard to attain.  Jag was a lot like her in that respect—pride was something neither of them lacked.  She smiled back and reached out, resting a hand on his chest.  His smile brightened and he put a hand over hers, using his free arm to pull her close to him.  She curled herself against him, resting her cheek against his bare shoulder, the touch of his skin reminding her of all that they had shared, and her heart lightened.  He kissed the top of her head and his grip tightened around her shoulders.    

"Good morning," Jag said, voice husky with sleep.

"Good morning," Jaina said.    

"It really is."

She laughed and looked up at him.  "For once, I am in complete agreement with you."

"So this is what it takes to get you to agree with me?" he teased, raising a dark eyebrow.

Despite herself, she blushed and got even redder when he noticed and chuckled.  His hand began to draw lazy patterns on her bare back and she quivered under his touch.  He'd awakened something in her that she'd only guessed at and she knew that it'll be difficult to focus whenever he was around her now....and even when he wasn't.  

"I felt you last night," he said thoughtfully.

Jaina could feel her face turning beet red again and wished that she could control that particular physical response.  "Uh..."

Jag laughed.  "Not like that, Jaina.  I mean in my thoughts...I could feel you in there."

"Really?"

"Yes...it was strange, but not unpleasant.  I felt...complete."  Now it was his turn to redden and an uncertainty that she'd seen before crept into his expression.  It seemed like he was uncertain about a lot of things concerning her, but that didn't worry Jaina.  She took a certain pride in throwing the normally unflappable Colonel Fel for a loop.  

"Is that too much?" he asked.  "I'm sorry."

Jaina propped herself up on her elbow so she could look into his face.  "No, don't be sorry.  It's not too much.  I...I must have opened up my Force perceptions to connect with you at a higher level--not on purpose or anything.  You were...my first."

He caressed her cheek, a tender look in his eyes.  "As you were mine."

"I can feel you in the Force."

"You told me."

"It's different now.  Before last night, I could sense you clearer than any other non-Jedis I can also sense, but now…you're like a bright light.  It's like everyone else was a little white speck and you're this...bright star."

Jag put a hand behind her head and drew her down to him so he could kiss her.  The kiss deepened into an intensity that would soon become uncontrollable had Jaina's comlink not started to beep.  Sighing, she pulled back and stood, wrapping the comforter around her.  She dug through her flightsuit, searching for the comlink.  Jag's lips twitched as he watched her struggle to hold the cover up while activating her comlink.  

"Lieutenant Solo, this is maintenance.  You wanted us to let you know when your X-Wing was ready."

"Yes, thank you," Jaina said, not bothering to keep the annoyance from her voice.  She let out a huff as she got back into bed.

"That was very goddess-like," Jag teased, pulling her close to him.

"We're lying in bed in the middle of morning," Jaina returned.  "It can't get any more goddess-like than this."  

"We should probably get up."

"Are you worried about what people might think?"

He snorted and that was answer enough for her.  She looked up at him, tracing a finger on the scar above his right eyebrow that she remembered trailing with kisses the night before.  When her finger reached the rebellious white streak in his hair, her hand splayed out and ran through his closely cropped hair, its softness a contrast to everything else about him.  She wanted nothing more than to spend all her mornings like this, with him, and Jaina knew then that this man had crept into her heart as stealthily as he'd crept into her life.  

Suddenly, an urge gripped her and before she could think twice, Jaina blurted out, "I love you, Jag."

Immediately, she wished she could take the words back when Jag's serene countenance changed to one of complete shock.  In other circumstances, she would have been amused at getting such a reaction from him, but in this case, she was too horrified to feel anything else.

"Say again?"

"No."

Jag stared at her with disbelief and then a slow smile lit up his face.  To her surprise, he rolled over, switching their positions so that he now looked down at her.  He framed her face with his hands, an expression on his face that she'd never seen before.  It made something inside her melt.  

"Say it again," he said, his eyes bright.

Jaina started to say no, but change her mind.  This moment was all she'd dreamed of and more, and with a smile that matched his, she said, "I love you."

He caressed the smooth curve of her cheek with gentle fingers.  "I love you, too."  

Then she kissed him and the rest of the morning went by without them.

***          *          ***


	3. Waiting

**Waiting**

Jacen sat in calm silence, not a muscle moving save his eyes which tracked his father pacing the length of the waiting area.  His mother sat next to him, her pose mimicking his, but he could feel the tension radiating from her.  

"She'll be fine," he reassured them.

"I'm sure of that," Han retorted, running a hand through his hair.  "But that's my little girl…having a little girl and a little boy of her own.  A man can't help but be a little nervous about that.  And I gotta say, you Skywalkers sure like your twins."

Leia laughed at that.  "It does seem to be a family trend.  Be glad that you're a man and unable to bear children, Jacen.  Giving birth to one child is difficult, but giving birth to twins is something else entirely.  I should know; I've done both."

A heavy weight settled in the room as they remembered Anakin.  Jacen didn't have to seek out his parents in the Force to know that they were still grieving.  It had been nearly five years since Anakin's death, yet…

"Did Jaina and Jag say what they were going to name the twins?" Han asked quietly.

"Without a doubt, the name Anakin was tossed around," Jacen said.  "But somehow, I don't think they'll name their son that.  The name is too heavy now with history, marked by two men that the boy will never know.  It doesn't seem fair."

"No," Leia agreed.  "No, it doesn't."

They lapsed into silence, lost in their own thoughts.  

"How long has it been?" Han inquired.

"She's been in labor for nearly six hours," Leia answered.  "Why?  Are you hungry?"

"No, just curious.  You called Luke and Mara, right?"

"Yes.  They should be here right about…" Leia paused then smiled.  "They're actually here now."

Ten minutes later, Mara burst through the doors, her eyes scanning the room as if she'd see Jaina there.  

"How is she?" she asked.

"Hello to you too," Han teased.  "And she's doing as well as can be expected from a woman in labor."

Luke sauntered in after his wife, Ben's hand in his.  The six year old skipped alongside his father, his red hair tousled and his blue eyes bright.  

"Hi!" he greeted cheerfully.

The adults couldn't help but smile at his greeting, at his naturally cheerful disposition.  Despite having been born at a time of war, Ben was a normal kid with a seemingly limitless amount of energy and an endless well of mischief.  And like his parents and cousins, he was very strong in the Force.  

"He refused to be left behind," Luke said with a shrug.  "He felt what Jaina was going through and wanted to make sure she was alright."

"She _is alright, isn't she, Jacey?" Ben asked, pointing an earnest and trusting gaze at his cousin._

Jacen got down on his haunches in order to look the boy in the eye.  "She's just in a little pain right now, but she'll be fine, Ben.  Are you hungry?"

"A little."

Jacen picked him up.  "We're going to go get some food.  Does anyone else want anything?"

"Caf would probably be nice," Leia said, smiling gratefully at her son.

"Got it."

They left as Ben started to tell Jacen about his newest toy.  Luke sat down next to his sister, while Mara paced in the opposite direction as Han.  Luke reached out for his niece and felt her still going strong—but frustration leaked out of her.  "Jaina doesn't seem to be waning."

"Always good to hear," Han said.  "I wish Jag would come out here…"

As if on cue, Jag walked in, exhaustion etched on his face.  "She wants you, Leia."

Leia leapt to her feet and ran out of the room.  Jag took her place, but he refused to relax, instead leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees.

"I'm glad you came, Luke, Mara.  Does that mean Ben's around somewhere?" 

"Jacen took him to get some food…and get us some caf," Mara said.  She smiled.  "So how are you holding up…Dad."

A corner of Jag's mouth twitched upwards and he shook his head in disbelief.  "There's something I'm going to have to get used to hearing addressed to me."

"I dunno, Jag.  I was thinking maybe you'd be more comfortable with 'Father'," Han teased.

Jag chuckled.  At first, Han Solo's irrepressible teasing had made him feel a little uncomfortable, Leia's reserved approach to life more suited to his liking, but even she rose to the challenge when one of Han's humorous comments were directed towards her.  Verbal sparring with Jaina hadn't quite prepared Jag for her father but nowadays he was holding his own.

"Don't you think I've relaxed enough to get a 'Dad'?"

Han grinned and clapped his son-in-law on the shoulder.  "We'll see.  When you've got a kid on your back, another tugging at your leg, and dirt smeared on that nice clean flightsuit of yours, I might even consider 'Daddy' a possibility."

"Don't forget the Force-aided temper tantrums that are in his future," Luke piped in, having gone threw a few with Ben.

Jag grimaced.  "I have heard the stories."

"Take it from me, just leave that stuff to the Jedi," Han said, his eyes taking on a faraway look as he remembered.  "The one time I tried to help, I got a concussion."  Han sighed, but he smiled contentedly.  "It'll be hard and you're gonna have your hands full for the rest of your life, but it'll be worth it.  Just think that every time you think that you're gonna knock their heads together."

"You can always count on Han for good tips," Mara said dryly.

"Don't knock it, Red." 

Ben and Jacen returned with four cups of caf.  Ben jumped on his father's lap, earning a grunt from Luke, and he grinned a chocolate smeared grin at Jag.  Jag grinned back, amused.  Luke's flightsuit now had some small chocolate handprints on it, but the older man didn't seem to notice, his attention on his son.  The fear dissipated in Jag's heart and he felt a small drop of excitement at having his own child sitting on his lap one day, having small handprints on his clothes.  

"Want some, Jaggie?" he asked, holding out a chocolate bar.

"No thanks, Ben.  You enjoy it."

"'Kay.  Where's Jaina?"

"She's in another room having our babies."

"Babies?  How many?"

"Two."

"Two boys?"

Jag smiled.  Everyone else knew the gender of the babies, but he didn't want to know.  They had respected his decision, but not without a great deal of teasing and baiting, and Jag had almost given in a number of times.  "I don't know," he answered.

"Jacen, I can't believe you got him chocolate," Mara scolded.  "You're going to have to peel him off the walls when he finishes with that bar."

Jacen smiled guiltily and handed her a cup of caf.  "It's just a little treat, Aunt Mara.  He'll be fine."

"I'm a good boy!" Ben said.

Then, as if to prove his mother's point, Ben jumped down from Luke's lap, dropped his chocolate bar on Jag's boot, and knelt at his feet.  Jag picked up the chocolate bar, making a face as he got melted chocolate all over his hand, and looked down curiously at Ben.  Straightening, Ben held up a silver chair with a ring on it.

"What's this?" he asked.

Jag's eyes widened and with his clean hand, he took it from Ben.  "It's Jaina's wedding ring.  It must have fallen out of my pocket."

"I always thought it was a beautiful ring," Mara said, coming up to Jag and taking the ring in the palm of her hand.  "It's a very original design."

"Jaina likes it," Jag said simply.

"And it is an original design," Jacen said, catching his brother-in-law's eye.

Mara let the ring fall from her hand and Jag looked away from Jacen to watch it swing in the air, glinting as it caught the light, remembering.  

*          *          *


	4. The Proposal

**The Proposal**

_A year and a half earlier…_

Jag stood on the rooftop of the docking bay, his eyes on the rising sun.  A feeling of serenity settled over him as he enjoyed one of the few moments of silence he had on this crowded base.  There always seemed to be someone wanting to talk to him or needing him to do something…he just needed an hour or so to himself and his thoughts.  Nowadays, his thoughts were full of one particular woman.  Flying with Jaina was a blessing and a curse.  A blessing because he could protect her and a curse because should anything happen to her, he'd be there to see it—and it would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life.  

When he'd been younger, he'd seen the love between his parents, but couldn't really see himself in the same position with a woman.  Growing up with the Chiss, Jag had learned to put a damper on his more human emotions and icy was one of more popular adjectives to describe him.  It wasn't until Jaina Solo had flown into his life, did he understand the look that would come on his father's face whenever his mother walked into the room.  Romantic was hardly a word one would apply to Jagged Fel but his mother always said that it took the right woman to change a man.  He didn't realize how empty his life had been before Jaina, but he knew how empty it would be without her.  It seemed to Jag that there was only one way to remedy the situation, but that didn't prevent the knot from forming in his stomach.  

As if on cue, he could hear Jaina's familiar footsteps coming up behind him.  He turned his head to throw her a smile and the smile he got in return was brighter than the sun rising.  She went to his side and pressed a kiss to his cheek.  He put his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him.  

"What are you doing up so early?"

"The same question can be applied to you."

"Will I ever get a straight answer from you?" Jaina said, shaking her head.

"Who knows."

She laughed and the sound warmed his heart.  Jaina didn't laugh enough, and he only hoped that since the war with the Vong was over, he'd hear it more often—which meant she'd have to be around him more often.

"You should be getting more rest now that you have the chance to," he said.  

"Same can be applied to you," she mocked.  "I've got some things on my mind."

"Like what?"

She looked up at him, a serious light in her eyes.  It seemed to him that she was strengthening herself for something and was a little afraid of what she had in store for him.

"You.  Us," Jaina said.  "Are you going back to the Chiss, Jag?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"Whether or not I'll have a place to stay here."

Jaina stiffened.  "I'm sure my uncle or my mother will be able to find a place for you."

"What about you?"

"What _about _me."

Letting out an exasperated breath, Jag pulled her into his arms.  She stayed tense for a moment before relaxing against him.

"Sorry.  Force of habit," she said, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his chest.

"I suppose I'll have to get used to it," he sighed.  "After already suffering through months of this, I somehow doubt that it will change anytime soon.  You do like being…"  His voice faded off as he searched for the right world.

"Mysterious?" she supplied.

"Not quite," he said, amused.  "Difficult is the word I'm looking for."

"And you love it."

"I am a masochist."

"So you'll stay," she said happily, beaming another smile at him.

He took a deep breath.  It was now or…later.  "I'll have to stay if we're married."

Jag could not find the strength to look at her, focusing on a spot on the low wall behind her, even when the silence stretched on for longer than he could stand.  Neither of them said anything for a time but Jag found hope in the fact that Jaina hadn't pulled out of his embrace.  Finally, she reached up and grabbed the collar of his uniform, forcing him to look at her.  Tears flooded her eyes, but she was smiling.  

"I love you, you Imperial pompous, _arrogant fighter jockey, and if you call that a proposal, then yes, I will marry you."_

He grinned so widely that he was afraid his face would split.  Letting out a whoop that was very un-Jaglike, he lifted her in his arms and they laughed joyfully, the sound drawing the stares of those walking below them.  It had been a long time since any of them had heard the innocent sound of exuberant laughter and it was a welcome sound.  Among those walking about was Jacen and he recognized the two figures entwined on the rooftops.  A crooked smile replaced his somber expression and he had to fight the impulse to run to his mother and tell her before Jaina could.  Amused at himself, Jacen walked on, his hands in his pockets.

*          *          *

War had taught them all that time was precious and so they wasted no time in preparing for the wedding.  Jaina and Jag's wedding would not reach the splendor of Han and Leia's, but neither of them had wanted a big ceremony to begin with.  Using old smuggler connections, Han managed to get the more luxurious supplies they would need, while General Wedge Antilles, as a favor to his nephew, used his rank to obtain supplies on base that normally wouldn't be open to them.  Jag sent two of his pilots home in order to tell his parents of his impending nuptials with the hope that they would be able to attend.  Leia was in her element, organizing the ceremony and reception with Threepio at her heels.  Jaina's stress level was at a new high as she searched for a suitable gown to wear, wishing that she hadn't cursed all the dresses her mother made her wear, thinking that she was being punished for it now.  Jacen was the only calm in the storm, his sure hand guiding his ruffled family members when they came to him for help.

Two weeks before the scheduled date, Jag was sitting at the same place where he'd asked Jaina to marry him, a datapad in his hand.  On its screen was a rough sketch that Jag had been working on since he'd decided to ask Jaina to be his wife.  He preferred to act rather than speak, and this little project said it all.  He'd poured his heart into it and as he looked at it, he wondered if it was adequate.  A set of footsteps caught his attention, but its heavy tread was fortunately not Jaina's.  Jag turned and saw her brother coming towards him.

"You like it up here," Jacen remarked.

"It's quiet.  Were you looking for me?"

"No.  I was looking for some quiet."

"You found it."

Jacen sat next to him, throwing a curious glance at the datapad Jag had surreptitiously put away from his view.  Jag caught the look and sighed, picking the datapad back up and handing it to Jacen.  The younger man's eyebrows arched in surprise as he got a good look at the sketch.  The design on the wide band was difficult to describe, but it made Jacen think of a star going nova, of beams of light stretching out into infinity.  It wasn't that lines were carved onto the surface, but more like the metal was pounded in certain places to give that impression.  Jacen was sure that the ring would never look the same under the light.  

"This is Jaina's wedding ring," Jacen stated.

"Yes."

"You did this?"

"I did."

"I didn't know you were an artist, Jag."

"It's just something I do in my free time."

"Does Jaina know you can do this?"

"No."

"It's…it's perfect."

Jacen felt the equivalent of Jag releasing a breath in the Force though his countenance was studiously blank.  However, a sparkle of pride did gleam in his green eyes.

"You think she'll like it?"

"She'll love it.  Is it being made?"

Jag tensed.  "Not quite.  I wasn't sure if I was going to have this made or get her something that she chooses herself."

"I might be able to help you.  I think one of the engineers in the bay is a metalworker…"

"I can do this."

Jacen blinked.  "You're kidding."

Jag shrugged.  "There wasn't much to do at home when I wasn't flying.  But I do need your help with something."

"No problem."

"It's going to take me a while to do this, but Jaina will wonder where I am if I disappear for days at a time…especially so close before the wedding.  Do you think you could cover my tracks?"

"Consider it done."  
Jag smiled.  "Thank you, Jacen."

"What are brothers for?"

The two men exchanged a warm glance, both having lost brothers to war, both happy to gain another. 

"Well, you better get a move on with that ring," Jacen said, looking down at the design.  "I'm no metalworker, but I don't think that's going to be easy.  What metal are you going to use?"

"I was going to take some metal from her X-Wing and my fighter."

Jacen shook his head, impressed.  "Who would have thought you were such a romantic."

Before Jag could respond, Jacen turned around quickly, hiding the datapad from view from Jaina who appeared at the rooftop access hatch.  Jacen handed it to Jag smoothly and turned around to block him as Jag pocketed it.  Had Jaina been her usual self, she would have noticed something awry, but since she was bleary eyed and hungry, she was just happy to see that neither of them wanted anything from her.  After fielding questions from everyone from her mother to Lowie, she just wanted to sit with Jag and be coddled.  

"What are you two doing up here?" Jaina asked.

"Hiding from the craziness down there," Jacen replied as he eyed his sister's rather dazed look.  "But I think it found us anyway."

Jaina made a face at him as Jag put an arm around her waist.  "Funny, Jace.  If you had to put a wedding together in a month, you'd get a little crazy too."

"Who says I haven't?"

Jag carefully steered Jaina around her brother.  "Let's get something to eat.  I have this feeling that you haven't eaten since dinner last night."

"No time."

"I'll go take care of things," Jag said.  "You stay up here with Jacen and rest."

She kissed him and it was a testament to her exhaustion that she didn't protest.  "Thank you."

Jag smiled at her, threw Jacen a look, and left.  Jacen put an arm around her sister and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"What are you two up to?" she asked.

"We were just talking.  He's a good man, Jaina."

She managed a small smile.  "He is.  I'm lucky to have found him and I'm glad that you like him."  

They lapsed into silence and Jacen would have just enjoyed the quiet time had he not felt the small ripple in the Force coming from his sister.  He frowned and looked down at her.  She must have been taking lessons from Jag because her expression was neutral, but he knew better.  There was something in her eyes…

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.

She sighed and closed her eyes, a line forming between her eyebrows as her face tightened.  When she opened them again, they were shiny with emotions.

"I just wish that we were all here for my wedding day," she said, her voice heavy.

Unbidden, the memory of Anakin's last few hours of life flashed through Jacen's mind and he had to fight for control.  He'd said his goodbyes to his brother, but the wound would always be there, the empty space in his life that Anakin used to fill.  He took a deep breath.  A dozen words of consolation were on the tip of his tongue, but he knew they weren't what Jaina needed to hear.

"So do I," he said simply.


	5. The Wedding: Part One

**The Wedding: Part One**

"What do you _mean_ Jag can't come out?" Jaina demanded, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed as she regarded her brother.

Jacen wanted to take a step back and get some distance between himself and his definitely annoyed sister.  The look on Jaina's face was more than a little reminiscent of their mother's when she was in one of her more…loud moods.  Jacen fixed a smile on his face and hoped that it would help her calm down.  However, from the flash in her normally warm brown eyes, whatever she saw on his face only made Jaina's temper spike more.

"He's…uh…not in there," Jacen fumbled, wanting to kick himself the second the words were out of his mouth.

"_Jacen_!" Jaina exclaimed, throwing her arms up.  "I just saw you come out of his room!  What were you doing there if he wasn't there?  And I heard his voice…"

"I was talking to him on the comlink," Jacen said, grasping at the lie like a falling man would reach for a dangling rope.  "He wanted me to pick something up for him because he's busy…uh…busy with travel preparations for his parents.  He just wants to, er, make sure that all the diplomatic stuff is right."

Jaina still didn't look as if she believed him but Jacen thanked his lucky stars that she was too exhausted to push it and didn't bother reaching out with him through the Force.  Jacen put an arm around her as they walked down the corridor and she leaned heavily against him, stifling a yawn.

"You know, getting some sleep can't hurt," he said easily.

"No kidding," she said, rubbing her eyes.  "But it seems like my To-Do list isn't getting any shorter no matter how much stuff I give other people to do."

"You need me to do anything," Jacen offered, though he was hesitant.  His hands were full with what she'd already given to do and with what Jag was supposed to do.  Still, it wouldn't seem right for him not to offer and he did feel sorry for her.  Jaina just wanted her wedding day to be perfect and he would never take that away from her.

"No, no.  I mean, it's not too bad and you've got stuff to do anyway. Just concentrate on that and don't screw up.  We'll be fine I think."

Jacen smiled wryly, thinking of the ring he'd just seen Jag working on.  "It'll be perfect, Jaina.  You'll see."

Jag let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding when he heard Jaina and Jacen's footsteps echo down the corridor.  With an energy he didn't feel, he moved back to his desk, worktable really, and went back to the delicate metalwork that was necessary for Jaina's ring.  He'd logged in nearly forty hours on it and it was halfway done.  Being the perfectionist that he was, he kept on improving on the design and going back to add a few bends here and there.  Jacen had been impressed when he saw it and that buoyed Jag's weary spirits.  He'd only gotten four hours sleep the night before and three the night before that…he couldn't even remember if he slept the night before.  He was getting sick of being in his room all day, but he just kept reminding himself that he was doing this for the woman he loved, and he was able to keep going.

A tired smile curved his lips as he thought of Jaina's reaction when he gave the ring to her.  He wanted to make her happy and he hoped that she would like it…

A touch of anxiety stilled his fingers.  His green eyes seemed to darken as he wondered whether she _would_ like it.  Swallowing hard, he looked down at the half-finished ring, turning it slowly with his fingers so that the light from his lamp caught it at different angles.  The reflection sparkled in his eyes and cast shadows on the walls, holding his attention with ease.  Despite his worries, he was proud of his work and told himself that she would love it.  Her own brother, the other person in her life who knew her as well as Jag himself, said that she would and Jag hung onto that thought.  Jacen had been a big help and Jag knew that he owed the other man a big favor for covering his back.  

Sighing, he picked up his tools and replaced the ring in the stand that he'd rigged for it so that he could work on it with both hands.  His comlink beeped before he could start working again and he turned it on, knowing full well who was calling him.

"I owe you lots, Brother," he said, a smile in his voice.

"If she slices me in half in order to get to you, I'm going to come back from the dead and haunt you, Jag," Jacen said, his own voice ragged.

Jag laughed.  "Thank you, Jacen."

Jacen sighed audibly.  "You're welcome, Jag, and get back to work.  You've still got a good way to go."

Turning off the comlink, Jag squared his shoulders and gave his task the same intense focus that he had during a dogfight.  Holding his tools with the same assurance he held the controls of his clawcraft, he got back to work.

The day of the wedding came too soon.  Jag had finished the ring two days before and had gotten enough rest so that he wouldn't look like a zombie when he and Jaina promised each other forever, but the knot of apprehension in his gut that had formed the day he put his tools down only tightened with each passing second.  The question of whether or not she would like it circled in his mind like a carousel.  He'd only shown Jacen the ring but he was tempted to ask Leia and his mother what they thought but he stopped himself from taking that step, mostly because he was afraid of what they would say.  If they didn't like it, there was no way he could change the design now and the closer the day he was to give it to her came, the more wound up he got.  

"Jag!"

He nearly jumped a foot in the air and with dismay, Jag saw that he'd ripped a button from his uniform.  His younger sister Wyn laughed uproariously as he stared down at the button helplessly.  He was so focused on her that he didn't see his father careful hide a smile behind his hand and his mother shake her head at him.  

"Did you really have to yell?" he said tightly, glaring at her.

"Now, Jag," his mother chided, taking the button from him and deftly sewing it back on.  "You're just tense.  Don't worry, everything will go according to plan."

"Not with the Solos," Jag said as he finished buttoning his jacket.  "The only thing about them you can be sure about is that _nothing_ ever goes according to plan."

"Rebels," Soontir Fel muttered, but he said it with a wry smile.

"You look wonderful, Jagged," Syal Antilles Fel said.  She brushed at imaginary lint on his shoulders and he could see the tell-tale shimmer in her eyes.  

"Thanks, Mom," he said, hugging her.  

"If someone had told me the day you were born that you were going to bring the Solos and the Skywalkers into our family, I would have…" Soontir's voice faded as he couldn't come up with a proper analogy.  "Well, I wouldn't have believed it, that's for sure."

"New times, Dad," Jag said.  "Everybody ready?"

Wyn grinned up at him, threading a thin arm through his.  "We've been ready, Jag.  Are you?"

He fought the urge to rub his knuckles across the top of her head for it would ruin her hairdo.  "What makes you think I'm not?"

She threw him an arch look in a way that only a girl her age could.  "I scared the crap out of you without even trying.  You're about as ready as…"

Whatever she had to say was forgotten as Jacen opened the door.  Cleanly shaven and his hair tamed for the day, it was clear he'd inherited his father's more rakish features but softened with his mother's wise gaze.  It was clear that Wyn had a bit of a crush on him and her attention embarrassed him—as well as amused everyone else.  She smiled at him and he cleared his throat, fixing his eyes on Jag.

"Ready when you are," he said.

"Let's go," Jag said easily.

"You look nice, Jacen," Wyn said, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Jag rolled his eyes and put a hand over her face.  She slapped at his arm but continued to smile sweetly at an uncomfortable Jacen.  Jag forgot his worries for a moment as he fought the urge to burst out laughing but then Jacen held out his hand, a brown eyebrow arched.  He didn't have to say anything for Jag to know what it was exactly he wanted.  Though his hands were steady, Jag's darting eyes betrayed his nervousness.  He put the velvet bag that had been sitting in his pants pocket into Jacen's waiting palm.  Jacen looked down at the black bag and then straight into Jag's eyes.  He didn't say a word but Jag knew what he was thinking as clearly as if Jacen had spoken directly into his head.

Everything was going to be just fine.


End file.
